Japan makes case against 'spy' ship

Japan is cracking down on suspected Pyongyang spy networks, initially focusing on a North Korean passenger and cargo ship that docks on the Japanese west coast.

Authorities believe the Man Gyong Bong-92 has carried orders to North Korean spies in Japan, and may have played a role in an assassination attempt in 1974 on the South Korean president, Park Chung-hee.

The crackdown appears to be part of a tougher stance by Tokyo, following the development of the North Korean nuclear crisis and Pyongyang's admission it had abducted Japanese nationals.

In a series of official leaks to the media this week, Japanese police seem to be making a case to act against the Man Gyong Bong-92, which visits the Japanese port of Niigata from Wonsan in North Korea about 30 times a year.

Japanese officials believe the ship was used to carry messages to North Korean agents in Japan, who used the country as a base for espionage activities against South Korea.");document.write("

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In the latest revelation, the Japanese news agency Kyodo said officials believe the ship may have been involved in passing instructions to Park's would-be assassin, via a North Korean agent in Japan.

In 1974, Mun Se-gwang, a South Korean who lived in Japan, tried to assassinate Park while he attended a ceremony in Seoul to mark the liberation of South Korea from Japanese rule.

He escaped the shooting attack, but his wife was killed. Mun was captured and executed.

Japanese authorities also claim the ship was used to carry messages to a North Korean agent who was part of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon.

The man, now 72, was arrested late last year and is facing charges over using a false name to apply for a foreign resident's identification card.

Police searched the man's home in Tokyo last November, and say they uncovered documents that detail his life as an agent and the role played by the ship.

Police sources say documents seized contained instructions from Pyongyang for spying on South Korea, and that having examined the documents and a confession from the man they believe there are several North Korean spy groups operating in Japan.

It does not appear that the man was connected with the abduction of Japanese nationals in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

There is a strong push to stop the Man Gyong Bong-92 entering Japanese ports.

The Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has said that the vessel should be watched closely "lest it be used for crime".